Fixated On A Long Life: How Important Is Longevity To You?

Is your goal at this stage of life to live as long as possible, or to live as well as you can, for as long as you are able? To a certain extent, that’s the life span versus health span debate. Across the globe, there’s a discrepancy in the number of years each of these inhabit: the average health span worldwide is 64, while the average life span is 73 years. In the United States, the current average life expectancy for men is 75.6 years, and for women,  that number is just shy of 81 years, but for men and women, those last few years of life might be consumed with chronic disease or illness. Over the last 150 years, we’ve pushed the boundaries of a natural human life with such advances as clean water, antibiotics, vaccines, and other public health measures. And we’ve demonstrated that much of your life expectancy is connected to your genetics, while healthy lifestyles also contribute significantly to your prospects for living a long life. 

But in this day and age, we are also witnessing the tremendous uptick in interest (and business) in pushing the boundaries of life expectancy well beyond our current trends. There is now a robust “longevity industry” intent on measuring, assessing, and ameliorating whatever challenges you face to keep your mind and body functioning well beyond what you could otherwise reasonably anticipate. No matter that, in much of what these longevity businesses offer, there’s a gap between the scientific evidence and the actual offerings or “biohacks” for sale. It appears that, for a price, many hope to manage, slow down, or even eliminate aging as a part of their lives. Global investment in companies researching and promoting longevity is now estimated to be about $8.5 billion, which is a 22% increase from 2023, much of it fueled by wealthy Silicon Valley and technology investors. In fact, there’s a worrisome trend of a “two-tier” system of aging, as most people lack the resources to do more than focus on their basic daily needs, while a relatively wealthy few plunk down thousands of dollars to experiment with scientifically unproven methods to extend the length of their lives. For an example of one such wealthy individual, take a look at the website of the leading evangelist for “defeating death,’ Bryan Johnson. And if you have an interest (and bank account) in pursuing the offerings of a longevity clinic, you may want to check out the tests, scans, measurements, and insights available at Biograph clinics in New York or San Francisco. A recent article in the Washington Post estimated that nationwide, there are over 800 assorted longevity clinics now in the United States. Or, if you find yourself relaxing in a lounge chair while receiving an infusion of plasma from a younger donor, you may want to boot up your laptop to watch Forever Young, a recent documentary wondering whether the end of aging has begun.

The rise in interest in longevity and extending life expectancy is understandable, given the influence of medical advice and influencers on social media, along with frustration with our current medical system and longstanding fears that many of us have about dying. In fact, the interest and for many, obsession with longevity- and tracking and measuring all aspects of aging and life- has led to a new diagnosis- longevity fixation syndrome. According to a recent article in The Guardian, this new syndrome entails an extreme push to try to live as long as possible, often with great emotional cost and anguish among those caught up in its tactics. As The Guardian describes this syndrome, “It’s a lifestyle about controlling the uncontrollable.” Ironically, this “feverish pursuit of health” can actually cause real harm to your health and well-being. For better or worse, most of us lack the discipline, will, or funds to become this obsessed about pushing the boundaries of our longevity. But if you’re interested in understanding the full breadth and depth of current efforts to support and improve longevity in humans, take a look at this recent collection of essays from Time magazine.

Fortunately, experts on healthy aging instead tend to advocate for a less obsessed and more balanced approach to aging that is likely to extend your health span- and thereby potentially also extend your life span. This approach focuses more on healthy lifestyles (diet, exercise, sleep, social connection) and less on unproven biohacks. As Dr. Jordan Metzel recently wrote in The Atlantic, “After decades of prescribing exercise as medicine to my patients, I tell them this: Move your body every day, and build muscles with weights or bodyweight exercises three times a week. Eat foods that you can recognize in nature. Prioritize sleep. Stay socially connected with community activities. Such a regimen may not enable you to cheat death. But it’s free. It’s evidence-backed. And it will help you live well right now.“ Sounds like good advice, for today and for the long run.